Display-shelving.



J. N. CLEAR.

DISPLAY SHELVING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1909.

946,337. Patented Jan. 11,1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Clays.

J. N. CLEAR.

7 DISPLAY SHELVING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1909. 946,337, Patented Jan. 11,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN N. CLEAR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DISPLAY-SHELVING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 11, 1910.

Application filed June 5, 1909. Serial No. 500,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. CLEAR, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Display-Shelving, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to display shelving for show-cases and the likeand has for its principal object to facilitate the attract- We andadvantageous display of merchandise.

In displaying some goods it is desirable to arrange the same upon alevel surface, While other goods may be displayed to better advantageupon an inclined surface; and, in show-cases whereseri es of shelves arearranged in one or more vertical rows,-or tiers, it is desirable to tiltthe several shelves or tiers of shelves to different inclinations.

The further objects of the present inven-' like symbols refer to likeparts wherever they occur, Figure 1 1s a transverse vertical sectionthrough a portion of a show-case equipped with a shelf according to myinvention, the shelf being shown in a tilted position; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a double supporting bracket; Fig. 3 is a perspectiveView of a single supporting bracket Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspectiveView of a portion of an upright to which the supporting brackets areadapted to be attached; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a carrier memberfor a detachable shelf; Fig. 6 is an end View of a modification of theshelf; Fig.

7 is a fragmentary section on the line 77 of Fig. 6; and, Fig. 8 is afragmentary section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a fragmentaryinverted plan view showing the modified pivot member.

In the drawings, the shelving is shown as applied to a show-case 1having a transparent. top and side panels 2, 3, respectively,

front faces, or, the uprights may be constructed entirely of metal inany well-known.

manner.

At regular intervals throughout the length of the front walls of thevertical channel members 5 are rectangular slots (3 in which the hookedend portions 7 of the shelf-supporting bracket arms 8 are adapted tofit, and whereby the shelves may be adjusted to different heights.However, I do not limit myself to any particular interlocking connectionbetween'the supporting brackets and uprights as any well-known means foraccomplishing the vertical adjustment of the brackets will come withinthe scope of my invention. The brackets may be made either in double orsingle arrangement, or both, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In cases whereonly a single shelf or a single vertical row of shelves are provided, itis only necessary to use the single brackets shown in Fig. 3; but

tiers of shelves are provided or where two or more shelves are placedclose together and end to end in a horizontal row, then the doublebrackets shown in Fig. 2 may he employed to support the meeting ends ofthe adjacent shelves and the single brackets need be used only attheouter ends of the endmost shelves in the row or rows. The front endportions of the bracket arms 8 are provided with notches 9 which arepreferably inclined as shown. These notches provide bearings for thepivots 10 of supporting members 11 on the underside of shelves 112 andfacilitate the attachment and removal of the shelf to and from thesupporting bracket arm.

y In some cases, and more particularly where glass plates are used forthe shelves, it is preferable to mount the shelves in holders 0rcarriers 13 and secure the members 11 to said holders or carriers.Preferably, the carriers 13 and the members 11 are made integral orformed from a single piece of sheet 1netal,'as shown in Figs. 1 and Thecarrier as therein illustrated comprises a strip having cars 11 bentdownwardly parallel with each other from opposite sides of the strip.The ears have riveted or otherwise secured thereto the cross pivot .pin10 which fits in the slot 9 in the bracket arm while the cars 11straddle the end portion of the bracket arm. The'front end portion ofthe is bent upwardly as at=15 and it is perforated foo andscrew-threadedto receive a screw 16 which is adapted to project over therear marginal portion of the shelf. In this manner, it is obvious that aglass plate may be securely held in place, it, of course, beingunderstood that a carrier member is pro vided'at'each end of the shelfand, if desired, at a point or points intermediate its ends, dependingupon the length and thickness of the glass and the weight to be carriedthereupon. The arrangement also permits of acertain amount of expansionand contraction due to changes in temperature with out cracking theglass as the same need not necessarily be fitted tightly to thecarriages Pivotally attached to the underside of the shelf or to thecarrier 13 at the rear is an elongated supporting member 17' which hasan adjustable or sliding connection with the supporting bracket 8 and isadapted to be locked in different positions to support the shelf invarious tilted positions. The member 17 is slightly curved so as toenable thelower end thereof to clear the rear wall of the show case whenthe shelf is tilted and yet not project forwardly in the show case adistance to interfere with the goods on a shelf below or with thetilting of said under shelf. The member 17 is preferably slottedlengthwise as at18 to coiiperate with a guiding and locking screw 19wl1ich fits in a threaded perforation 20. in the bracket 8. The upperend portion of the member 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, is pivotallyattached to an ear 21 integral with the carrier 13, while in Figs. 6 and8, the member 17 is shown asbeing pivoted to a separate ear which issecured to the underside of the shelf.

In order to prevent the goods from sliding off theshelf when the same istilted, a rib or ledge 22 is provided along the front edge portionthereof. The rib may be secured directly to the shelf, as shown in F ig.6, or, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5,'the rebent end portion 14 of thecarrier 13 may be bent upwardly asat 23 and have a wooden or metal stripattached thereto to provide the ledge.

By the construction shown, and the parts being made interchangeable, theshelves may be adjusted to various heights and arranged horizontally ortilted to various angles to tastily, attractively and advantageouslydisplay merchandise. The supporting fixtures for the shelf occupy but asmall space within the show-case and being practically invisible do notdetract from the neat appearance thereof.

tosaid shelf and movable transversely of said bracket to hold the shelfin various Y angular-positions, and means for locking said member tosaid bracket in its adjusted position.

' 2. A show-case having transparent panels, an upright in said case, abracket adjustably mounted on said upright, a shelf pivotally supportedon said bracket, an elongated link pivotally connected to said shelf andmovable transversely of said bracket, and means on the bracketforclamping said link thereto.

3. A display shelf comprising a supporting bracket arm having a notch inits front end portion, a shelf havinga depending pair of ears adapted tostraddle'the bracket arm and having a cross pivot secured therebetweenand adapted to fit in the notch in said arm, an elongated member pivotedat one 'end to said shelf near its rear edge, said elongated member.having a slot extending lengthwise thereof, and a. screw fitted throughthe slot in said elongated member and into a threaded hole in saidbracket arm, whereby said elongated member may be secured in adjustedpositions to said bracket arm and the shelf be thereby held in differentpivotal positions.

4. A display shelf comprising a ,supporting bracket arm having a notchin its front end portion, a shelf having a holder comprising a metalstrip having one end rebent and adapted to overlie the edge portion ofthe shelf and its opposite end bent upwardly and having a screw threadedperforation therein adapted to receive a s'crew'to overlie the edgeportion of said shelf, saidstrip having :1 depending pair'of earsintermediate its ends and adapted to straddle said bracket arm andhaving a cross pivot secured there between and adapted to fit in thenotch in said bracket arm, and said strip having :1

depending ear near its'rear end, an, elongated member pivotallysecuredat one end to sa1d last mentioned ear and having a slot extendinglengthwise thereof, and a,

screw fitted through the slot in said elongated member and intoascrew-threaded perforation in sa1d bracket arm, whereby saidelongated-member may be locked in adjnsted positions to said bracket armand the shelf be thereby held in different pivotal positions.

5. A display shelf comprising a' sup orting bracket arm having a notchin its ront end portion, a shelf having a detachable holder, saidholderhaving a air of depending ears adapted to s'tradd e said'brac ketarm and having a cross pivot secured therebetween and adapted to fit inthe notch in said bracket arm, an elongated member piv otally attachedat one end to said holder near the rear end thereof, said elongated,

member having a slot extending lengthwise thereof, and. a screw fittedthrough the slot in 'said'elongated member and into a screwthreaded holein said bracket arm, whereby said elongated member may be locked in itstion of the shelf and an upstanding portion provide a retaining ledgefor the shelf, and said stri having a depending pivot portion intermeiate its ends.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 3rd day of June, 1909.

JOHN N. CLEAR. Witnesses:

G. A. PENNINGTON, JULIA B. MEGOWN.

adapted to have a strip secured thereto to 7

